Survival by Degrees: 389 Species on the Brink

Two-thirds of North American birds are at risk of extinction from global temperature rise and what you can do to help.

Allen's Hummingbird is a climate endangered bird Photo: Barry Schirm

As the climate changes, so will the places birds need.

Audubon scientists took advantage of 140 million observations, recorded by birders and scientists, to describe where 604 North American bird species live today—an area known as their “range.” They then used the latest climate models to project how each species’s range will shift as climate change and other human impacts advance across the continent. See how climate change will impact California's birds.

The results are clear: Birds will be forced to relocate to find favorable homes. And they may not survive. 

Climate change is a serious threat to California birds. Highly and moderately vulnerable birds may lose more than half of their current range—the geographic area where they live—as they are forced to search for suitable habitat and climate conditions elsewhere. The birds that nest or spend the winter in your area are most vulnerable across their entire range. Some birds may lose range outside of your state, making the protection of their current habitat in your area even more important. 

Highly vulnerable birds include iconic California birds such as the California Quail, Allen’s Hummingbird, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Magpie, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cassin's Kingbird, Bushtit, Acorn Woodpecker, and many others. These are birds that all of us know well from our backyards and from our own experiences in California’s beautiful outdoors. 

Audubon California is addressing this challenge by protecting the habitats that we know birds will need now and into the future, and doing what we can to lessen the severity of global warming. We’ll do this work with a variety of partners on the ground and in the halls of the State Capitol and Washington, D.C. But we won’t be able to rise to this challenge without the involvement of California residents who care about birds. We need people not only to join us in this important work, but to also raise their voices to call for meaningful policy and legislative action on climate. TAKE ACTION>>

New Audubon Science: Two-Thirds of North American Birds at Risk of Extinction Due to Climate Change
Audublog

New Audubon Science: Two-Thirds of North American Birds at Risk of Extinction Due to Climate Change

Enter your zip code into Audubon’s Birds and Climate Visualizer and it will show you how climate change will impact your birds and your community and includes ways you can help.

Read more

What is Audubon California Doing about Climate Change?
Audublog

What is Audubon California Doing about Climate Change?

Summary of Audubon California’s programs that contribute to abating the impacts of climate change or increasing the climate resiliency of our priority California habitats and birds.

Read more

Birds and Climate Visualizer
Global Warming

Climate Visualizer

See how your backyard birds will be impacted by climate change.

Read more

Seabird “Preyscapes” in the Age of Climate Change
Seas & Shores

Seabird “Preyscapes” in the Age of Climate Change

How breeding seabirds respond to climate-driven changes in their food sources

Read more

New Legislation Taps into Coasts’ Potential to Store Carbon Pollution
Audublog

New Legislation Taps into Coasts’ Potential to Store Carbon Pollution

Audubon California supports the introduction of the Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act

Read more

Black Oystercatcher
Global Warming

Black Oystercatcher

Black Oystercatchers face an uncertain future in a changing climate.

Read more

Allen's Hummingbird and Climate Change
Birds

Allen's Hummingbird

The Allen's Hummingbird is one of California's most popular birds.

Read more

Yellow-billed Magpie
Birds

Yellow-billed Magpie

The Yellow-billed Magpie could lose a large part of its range unless we address global warming.

Read more

Long-billed Curlew and global warming
Birds

Long-billed Curlew

The Long-billed Curlew is North America's largest shorebird.

Read more

Sonoma Creek enhancement
Sonoma Creek restoration

Sonoma Creek restoration

Audubon California and its partners are bringing back 400-acres of wetland habitat in San Pablo Bay for the benefit of a variety of birds, including the endangered Ridgeway's Rail.

Read more

Protecting the Western Snowy Plover

Protecting the Western Snowy Plover

This site is devoted to the protection and recovery of the Western Snowy Plover, a small, rare, and threatened shorebird that makes its home on certain beaches on the Pacific coast.

Read more

Recent News

Feds unveil draft plan for desert renewable energy development
Audublog

Feds unveil draft plan for desert renewable energy development

Plan is an attempt to map both renewable energy and conservation across huge swath of desert habitat.

Man-made climate change to increase risk of extreme fire seasons in California

A California wildfire. Photo: Erick Pleltez

Man-made climate change will likely increase the risk of extreme fire seasons in California over the coming decades, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report also indicated that 2014 offered up the highest risk for extreme fires of any year on record,  According to the study, high risk means "more days with intense heat and little or no recent rain, creating the perfect conditions for a big blaze."

Signing of Assembly Bill 1482 marks a historic step toward  preparing California for the challenges of a changed climate
Press Center

Signing of Assembly Bill 1482 marks a historic step toward preparing California for the challenges of a changed climate

— Bill calls for a coordinated adaptation response from state agencies to the changes brought about by global warming.
Governor’s signature on wildlife corridors protection bill secures vital safeguards for California birds
Press Center

Governor’s signature on wildlife corridors protection bill secures vital safeguards for California birds

— Assembly Bill 498 will help California preserve its most important habitat areas
Progress on climate bills in 2015 session, but clearly more work to do
Audublog

Progress on climate legislation, but lots more work to do

The 2015 California legislative session landed some good wins for birds on climate, but setbacks on key bills means that we'll have to push harder than ever next year.

Birds suffer from air pollution, just like we do
Audublog

Air pollution is a direct threat to birds

Many of the same emissions that drive climate change pose direct health problems for bird populations.

Global warming stories
Global Warming

Global warming stories

We asked people to talk about their favorite birds and global warming.

Supporting state legislation to address global warming
Global Warming

Supporting state legislation to address global warming

Audubon California is supporting a number of bills under consideration in the 2015 California legislative session that position our state as global leader in addressing global warming. We believe that this legislation offers great benefits to both birds and people. 

Diego Zapata talks about the Baltimore Oriole and global warming
Global Warming

Diego Zapata talks about the Baltimore Oriole and global warming

Diego Zapata, a Los Angeles teen, talks about how the Baltimore Oriole introduced him to birding, and how he plans to help the species survive the challenges of global warming.

Black Oystercatcher
Global Warming

Black Oystercatcher

Black Oystercatchers face an uncertain future in a changing climate.